River of Life Blog
  • Pastor Todd Weston's Blog

RLA Pastor's blog

Commitment

7/16/2012

 
Here's a not-too-difficult riddle.  It's a three-syllable word, increasingly rare, maybe should be added to an endangered species list, everyone praises it, few practice it, and nothing of lasting value gets done without it.  We all know the answer, so let's say it together: COMMITMENT!

So what has happened to this time-honored value?  Where did it go?  Why is it that so few people can be counted on for the long haul?  Of course, the excuses for breaking commitments are many:
  • I'm bored
  • This isn't fun any more
  • It didn't work out the way I thought it would

Or we default to what is considered the fool-proof excuse for Christians, "The Lord is leading me in a different direction."

Of course, that can happen.  After sixteen years pastoring in Manhattan, Kansas, God led Sheri and I to SW Florida (talk about a different direction!) The church in Kansas accepted our move as the leading of the Lord.  After all, we were there a long time.  I'm not so sure how they would have felt about it had I resigned within the first six months. The way some people move in and out of commitments, you would almost think God is schizophrenic.  One day He says do this; the next He says do that.

I think the problem is that we have somehow lost the biblical concept of commitment.  Of putting your hand to the plow and not looking back.  Of enduring to the end.  Of finishing the course.  Of sticking with the job until it's complete.  

Speaking of sticking with the job, that's exactly what John Mark didn't do in Acts 13.  He was given the opportunity of a lifetime when Paul extended the invitation to join his missions team.  John Mark said, "Count me in!"  So off they went on the first recorded missionary journey.  But no sooner did they start than John Mark called it quits (Acts 13:13).  Maybe you've done that, too.  Left when you should have stayed.

It was the apostle Peter who came alongside John Mark.  Peter knew something about broken commitments and how to recover.  It's believed Peter helped John Mark so that later on Paul was able to say of him, "he is profitable to me for the ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11).

John Mark went on to make good, and so can we.  May God baptize us with a good dose of STICK-ABILITY!  That special something that keeps us from quitting when we're discouraged, and enables us to faithfully stay at it. Remember: quitters never win, and winners never quit.  So don't grow weary in welldoing.  Keep your commitments. God promises a great reward to those who don't quit! (Galatians 6:9)

Pastor Todd Weston

Comments are closed.

    Pastor Todd

    Lead Pastor
    River of Life
    Assembly of God

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All
    1 Timothy 4:12
    9/11
    Accountability
    Bible
    Bitterness
    Blessing
    Blessings
    Cheerful Heart
    Choices
    Christmas
    Church
    Church Ministry Center
    Comfort
    Commitment
    Compromise
    Confidence
    Connection
    Courage
    Courageous
    Creativity
    Criticism
    Daniel
    David
    Deceitfulness
    Direction
    Discernment
    Drifting
    Economy
    Elections
    Endurance
    Esther
    Faith
    Father
    Fear
    Fellowship
    Finances
    Forgiveness
    Generosity
    Gifts
    Gospel
    Grace
    Great Commission
    Greatness
    Haiti
    Heaven
    Hebrews 12:14
    Heroes
    Holiness
    Home
    Hope
    Israel
    Joseph
    Light
    Mary
    Media
    Mercy
    Miracles
    Missions
    Moms
    Mothers Day
    Motivation
    Natural Gifts
    New Year
    Obstacles
    Options
    Outreach
    Overcome
    Peace
    Perspective
    Planning
    Power
    Priorities
    Race
    Rapture
    Read
    Renew
    Rla Connect
    Running
    Servant
    Sin
    Sing
    Spiritual Gifts
    Success
    Time
    Tithe
    Trials
    Truth
    Unity
    Variety
    Vision
    Voting
    Wedding
    Willing Heart
    Word
    Youth

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.